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Topic: Off Leash in your own yard ...rude? (Read 12854 times)

I thought this neighborhood situation would make for an interesting discussion here:

One of my across the street neighbors has a partially fenced yard ( open in the front) their dog there is an "invisible fence" along the parts that is not fenced. Their dog is always off leash and always extremely well behaved. Seriously well behaved, I am terrified of dogs and I will randomly walk up to "Trixie" and pet her. The building next door to them has been converted to apartments and new family moved in - and immediately walked over to Trixie's family and ordered them to tie her up. Trixie's dad declined, which really angered the new family and set off a verbal ( one sided) sniping "war" where every time the new folks see anyone from Trixie's family out side they make rude comments about how rude it is for Trixie not to be tied up.

I don't know if someone in the new family is scared of dogs( although I think they would say something if that were the case) or if they just believe all dogs need to be tied, but it's only March and this happens enough that all of the neighbors that I know, are aware of the issue, so the new family is really making a big deal out of this. I can see them asking Trixie's family ONCE and dropping it, sort of, but really since the dog does not charge the borders of her yard and approaches no one without being called, I really don't think it's anyone else's business. However they just came to the door with a petition to forced Trixie to be chained and were quite upset when I declined. Apparently Trixie's owners and I are Rude to expect that the dog's right to be unleashed in her own yard be continued. I can see this becoming a bigger problem as the weather improves. While I can't control what the new neighbors do, Would it be out of line for me to make sure that Trixie's family knows that I have no problem with the dog being unleashed in her own yard ? (I am not sure if they are not rude for not leashing Trixie on demand, but I do know that no one else I have spoken to have an issue with it, either. )

To be clear, the yard is fenced in (part physical fence, part invisible fence) but the new family still thinks the dog should be tied on a tether? Do they know about the invisible fence or are they assuming the dog can roam the streets at will?

I think letting your neighbors know about the petition is fine if you believe they won't approach the petitioners directly by saying you told them. (You hardly need to be in the middle of something blowing up.) I'm curious, though, do you or do your neighbors know why the newcomers are so insistent about this? Did you ask them the reason when they came to your door?

I think letting your neighbors know about the petition is fine if you believe they won't approach the petitioners. (You hardly need to be in the middle of something blowing up.) I'm curious, though, do you or do you neighbors know why the newcomers are so insistent about this? Did you ask them when they came to your door?

I wanted to - but when I refused to sign they got really upset with me and started in with how rude I was and how I thought more of the dog than the rights of the people in the neighborhood, yada, yada, rather than engage I shut the door and went back in the house. At this point I want nothing to do with them. I am not sure the other neighbors know anything more....I know the neighbors on either side of me know no more than I do.

I think letting your neighbors know about the petition is fine if you believe they won't approach the petitioners. (You hardly need to be in the middle of something blowing up.) I'm curious, though, do you or do you neighbors know why the newcomers are so insistent about this? Did you ask them when they came to your door?

I wanted to - but when I refused to sign they got really upset with me and started in with how rude I was and how I thought more of the dog than the rights of the people in the neighborhood, yada, yada, rather than engage I shut the door and went back in the house. At this point I want nothing to do with them. I am not sure the other neighbors know anything more....I know the neighbors on either side of me know no more than I do.

I once had some acquaintances who owned Big Scary-Looking Dogs. The BSLDs (I'm now on a mental tangent about ROUSes from Princess Bride...OK, back to topic) would run at high speed from the house to the curb, barking at approaching pedestrians. They never set toenail past their own unfenced yard. My 'friends' found it hilarious entertainment to watch, laughing at frightened passers-by who would scoop up their own smaller dogs and children.

That was rude (and more).

However, it's not inherently impolite to have an unleashed animal unattended on your own unfenced property. That said, it is polite to listen and give appropriate reassurances to concerned neighbors who inquire.

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Need to Change

Each time we've adopted a dog, the rescue or pound directed us NOT to tie up our new family member -- except for brief periods, and even then, only if accompanied by a human. We've sometimes tied them up while doing yard work (which involves pets and scritches), for example.

I'm guessing the fence's invisibility makes the new folks nervous. But they're the ones crossing lines here. They skipped over reasonable concern, then leapt from rudeness to outright harassment.